1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the method and structure for installing sheet metal roofing shingle arrays, and more particularly to the method and structure of mounting stamped sheet metal roof covering pieces conformed to interlock into exterior shapes reproducing the shape of oriental roofing tile and fastened onto reinforcing ribs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over long historic periods a roofing system has been practiced in China in which fired clay or ceramic valley pans are bridged at their adjacent edges by semicircular caps, resulting in a very distinct appearance. This roofing process, with some minor variations, has been adopted in the neighboring areas and is therefore now known by the familiar expression xe2x80x98Oriental Roofxe2x80x99. With some frequency this oriental roof styling covers distinctly appearing building structures and it is therefore associated with distinct architectural motifs. The pleasing, well appreciated oriental styling motif obtains its visual underpinnings from the ribbed skeletal structure originally used to support the tile and the convolved shape is particularly useful in creating visual interest and distinctiveness in commonly designed building tracts. When implemented in traditional fired clay or ceramic tile, however, structures that have been appropriately ribbed and reinforced would be needed to accommodate this roofing weight and the ribbed roof exterior therefore suggests some structural efficacy. Recently, however, the construction techniques of frame housing prefer light weight over structural bulk and the interesting ornamental variety of this venerable roofing method has not had appropriate adaptation to our mode of life.
One constant process of life is the wear and damage that is universally sustained with time, including the wear and deterioration of the roofing shingles covering our buildings. As result a variety of roof coverings have been devised in the past that can be applied directly onto the most common roof covering, i.e., asphalt shingle, and these replacement roof coverings are now widely used. These, however, do little to improve the structure supporting the roof which very often also suffers some deterioration as the original roof covering fails. Amongst these are various forms of sheet metal shingle, also frequently applied directly on top of the existing asphalt tile, the substantially more rigid and durable aspects of a metal stamping being used to advantage to bridge and cover the deteriorating structure of the asphalt tile and also of its underlayment. Examples of stamped sheet metal roofing tile can be found in the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,337 to Plath et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,185,436 and 4,218,857 to Vallee, U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,625 to Sweet, U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,888 to Ilnyckyj and others. While suitable for the purposes intended, each of the foregoing examples describes a generally flat shingle structure which obtains structural stiffness only within the individual stamping itself and therefore lends little support over greater spans. For those instances where longer bridging spans are required, as in roof structures that show some deflection in the joists and beams themselves, little is available in the marketplace.
A convenient roof covering technique that includes structural reinforcement is extensively desired and it is one such technique that is described herein utilizing to advantage oriental roofing to accomodate reinforcement of structural beams.
Accordingly, it is the general purpose and object of the present invention to provide an assembly of sheet metal roof covering pieces which are useful with stiffening ribs applied in a novel process of recovering a roof.
Other objects of the invention are to provide a roof recovering method and structure in which the new roofing tile is installed in conjunction with stiffening ribs.
Yet additional objects of the invention are to provide a novel process for recovering roofs in which the roof covering includes reinforcing ribs.
Further objects of the invention are to utilize the ornamental aspects of an oriental roof covering to provide stiffening structure in the course of roof repair.
Briefly, these and other objects are accomplished within the present invention by providing a stamped sheet metal array of roof covering pieces which are affixed to a roof along with a set of generally parallel wood ribs, selected ones of which being aligned over the roof joists and rafters supporting the roof to provide stiffening thereto. The valleys between these ribs are then covered by stamped pans included in the inventive roofing array and the adjacent edges of the pans are bridged by semicircular caps arched over the subjacent ribs, thus replicating the exterior shape of an oriental roof Additional pieces of the array are then useful as end plugs closing the open cap ends, shaped blocks to cover the voids defined by each pan and other stampings for any necessary ridge covering and ridge connections. This assortment of pieces may be formed from relatively thin sheet metal such as galvanized sheet, aluminium or copper sheeting and may be coated, painted or otherwise colored to reproduce the color scheme of oriental roofing tile.
Preferably this combination of sheet metal pieces and the stiffening ribs is laid on top of a surface of roofing felt that is first positioned to cover the old roofing. Thus the ribs provide the further advantage of enhanced attachment of the roofing layers, reducing the incidents of peeling and tearing caused by weather and wind. In addition, the inventive recovering process entails bending of interlocking folds in the course of fastening thereof to the stiffening ribs, this bending process further improving structural integrity.
It will be appreciated that the ultimate shape of each cap and valley tile will be determined by the curling and bending thereof in the course of installation. The inventive process, therefore, is particularly suitable for existing structures that have distorted or settled with time effected by reproductions of old roof coverings which themselves varied in the course of their fabrication. Accordingly, the instant process is particularly suitable for the do-it-yourself practitioner.